Horse-boot



(No Model.)

M. BARNES.

HORSE B001".

No. 456,688. Patented July 28, 1891.

Wdfneasas l nveniov" MONROE BARNES,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MONROE BARNES, OF BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS.

HORSE-BOOT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 456,688, dated July 28, 1891.

Application filed January 14, 1891. Serial No. 377,695. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MONROE BARNES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bloomington, in the county of McLean and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Horse-Boots, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to horse-boots, and more particularly to that class known as spreaders, which are placed upon either the front or rear leg of a horse to correct inter:

fering and teach the animal to become widegaited.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved spreader; and Fig. 2 a view showing the arm of the spreader detached from the boot proper.

As heretofore constructed, most spreaders have been provided with flexible arms, which, after a little use, become so yielding as to be practically worthless, while according to my invention I obtain the required degree of flexibility withqnt the chance of the arm becoming so yielding as to be of no practical value.

A represents the boot proper, madeof leather or any other suitable material and provided with the usual pad a on its inner face, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. Secured on the outer side of the boot is the arm B, made of wire, and so constructed as to be flexible only at the point of attachment. The arm is advisably made of one piece of wire. Commencing with the end (I it is bent so as to form a loop e, thence coiled into the coil 1), from which extends one side f of the arm A. Then it is bent downward and back to form 1 the other side g of the arm A, then coil 0 is formed, and finally the second loop h. It will be noticed that by so bending the wire a good base is given to the striking-arm B, by which it may be attached to the boot proper, also that the coils b and c are wound in opposite directions, so that there is always a tendency for the arm toassume its normalposition and not become limited and useless after a short time, as in spreaders of ordinary construction. A strap 0 is passed through the coils and over one side of the loops e and 71-, as shown in Fig. 1, when its ends are securely sewed or otherwise fastened to the boot A,

thus securing the arm 13 to the boot. Other means may also be used to secure the arm to the boot, such as wire staples, &c.

To fasten the boot in place upon the animals hook and to assist in securing the striki n g-ar [I], I provide the straps D and D, which are fastened, respectively, in the loops 6 and 7t and pass around the outside of the boot A, as shown in Fig. 1.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the portions f and g of the striking-arm do not in themselves give or yield; but the give of the arm takes place only in the coilsb and c, which, being wound in opposite directions, tend to counteract one another and keep the striking-arm in its proper position.

While I have shown the wire loops formed upon the striking-arm as bent in the shape of rectangles, I do not intend to confine myself to that particular form, nor do I mean to be limited as to the numberof turns in the coils (Z and c, as they may be varied without rendering the arm A more or less flexible. Furthermore, the number of straps D and D for securing the boot in place may be varied, as desired. So, too, so far as the attachmentof the straps D D is concerned, the loops forming the base of the arm may be varied or even omitted, the strap or straps in such case merely passing about the boot and over the strap 0.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim is 1. A horsespreader comprising a boot A, a rigid laterally-extending striking-arm B, and a coiled spring connection between the boot and arm.

2. A horse-spreader composed of a boot A, a striking-arm B, provided with coils b c and loops 6 7L, and a securing-strap C, all substantially as described.

3. A horsespreader composed of a boot A, a striking-arm B, provided with coils b c and loops c h, strap 0, and straps D D, all substantially as shown and described.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

MONROE BARNES. Witnesses:

HENRY D. SPENCER, H. W. HALL. 

